An engine hood and a trunk lid of an automobile are desired to be opened up as widely as possible so that the access to the engine room and the trunk space may be improved, and hinge mechanisms making use a four-link mechanism including four links having different lengths are sometimes used for the purpose of maximizing the opening angle.
A four-link mechanism is sometimes called as a quadric crank chain, and can achieve various sorts of hinge motion by suitably selecting the lengths of the four links which make up the mechanism. Because a four-link mechanism basically provides a larger link rotational angle than actually required, it is necessary to define the fully open position and the fully closed position of the lid member by suitable means. Typically, a stopper member, for instance made of rubber, is interposed between a suitable point of the inner surface of the lid member and a corresponding position of the vehicle body to define the fully closed position, and the rotational angle is limited by another means so as to define the fully open position of the lid member.
According to the conventional structure, separate stoppers were typically provided for the fully open position and the fully closed position, and the number of component parts and the amount of the work involved in the fabrication process were inevitably substantial.